For What It's Worth: Is This Really Me?
by sailormoonstwin
Summary: SenshiGenerals, UsagiMamoru AU College would soon prove to be more than just the obvious next step in life. When they first meet each other, things take a new spin and they begin to question the way they've been living.
1. Still waiting

Disclaimers

As per usual, don't own characters or series but writing and content are my own.

Background

Began at the end of May 2005. Planning to turn this into a huge saga.

Author's Note

Final revised version of this chapter (repost). More detail and character analysis / development included as well. Again, plot still in the works but hopefully a lot of you can relate to the issues I will bring up.

The way this is written, it's mostly from Usagi's point of view. However, since it's in third person, it may change to the narrator's point of view. This will explain the lack of honorifics because that is when the narrator is speaking. It's probably still confusing even if I tell you this but it doesn't detract too much from the actual flow anyway.

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**CHAPTER 1**

**Still waiting**

"KANPAI!!" The word was echoed around the table and she couldn't help but smile giddily as she and her friends clinked their bottles and glasses together.

The liquor sloshed inside her half-empty Bacardi Silver as she bumped it against the gin and tonic her neighbor held, making her aware of how many she had already polished off. She had acquired an unhealthy addiction to wine coolers, although she knew it was basically because she could withstand the 'fruity' concoctions better than beer, which of course led to her knocking back a few more than she was supposed to drink on occasion.

A smirk graced her face as she remembered the number of times one of her guy friends had noted that although such a drink might actually taste good, they couldn't openly admit to it. _As if that would put their manliness in question. _She brought the bottle to her lips again, hiding her involuntary laughter at the memory in the cool liquid.

She had to admit it was great to be back at school. Mind you, she definitely wasn't someone who loved the homework, the exams, or any of the pull-all-nighters-until-you-drop deadlines so much as someone who loved being with her friends. How she had made it to university was beyond her but here she was just starting her third year of college.

Kino Makoto, who sat with her boyfriend Nefuraito, and Aino Minako, who was chattering alongside them, often jokingly wondered the same. They were, however, rather quick to defend her whenever she put herself down, although their defense came with an accompanying smack to the head and she couldn't help but wonder if she wouldn't really become dumb in reality if they did it enough times. Usagi had to agree with them; she didn't doubt for a second that she herself was her biggest enemy. _Too many inner demons to tackle still._ Her life up to this point showed exactly how messed up her life and, in turn, she had become and she knew it would be a long time before she headed it in the right direction . . . if she ever did.

_Yeah, well, that certainly doesn't stop me from having fun though_, she thought wryly. Oh, and the fun all five of them had together! Looking at each of the girls gathered, her mind dredged up memories of sleepovers, outings, pranks, and even a few cringe-worthy fights. Of course, the number of incidents that she and Mina-chin had claimed were—and honestly they were!—accidents had to take the cake.

Mina-chin was usually lumped with her as the 'blonde duo,' mostly because they were a deadly combination when left alone in a room together. The Exploding Sink Incident came to mind. Whenever Mako-chan was coerced into the fray, their limits were boundless. A proverbial powerhouse, who considered the sword mightier than the pen and actually practiced this motto, Makoto literally plowed through anything that she couldn't overcome.

Usagi's skin prickled at the rise of happy memories as she watched the two bicker heatedly about Minako needing to cut her nails before she jabbed someone's eye out and from the look of it, that eye might be Mina-chin's own if she kept waving her hands as if she were giving a highly motivating sermon.

It was surprising that they were here at this point when so much had happened to all of them. Laughing and arguing over frivolous things was not something they had been able to do before and seeing the girls smiling so easily made Usagi feel for just a second that it might not last. Funnily enough, she would recall thinking this exact thing the year she was slated to graduate.

Rei nudged her with an elbow. "You ok?"

Usagi shook her head clear and gave her a small smile. Satisfied with that response, Rei returned to the conversation with a heated opinion about why affirmative action was positively evil in nature even if it was supposed to help people.

Rei voiced her beliefs rather vociferously but her advice was always solid._ "You know yourself better than anyone else, and whatever you don't know, that's why we're here."_ She took things the extra mile, and Usagi couldn't help being thankful for that, especially because they had really needed it back then.

Throw Ami-chan into the mix and even her and Mina-chin would feel sheepish despite how often they unconsciously got into trouble. She was their tempering influence in the group. She was also quick on her feet: they got out of more jams then Usagi could count—not to say that her skills in addition were lacking—because Ami could spin just about anything. _If Ami-chan really wanted to, she could be running her own syndicate right now._ A vision of Ami dressed in a black suit, eyes peering sharply over a pair of clasped hands as she leaned forward against an oak wood desk popped into Usagi's mind. The idea was so absurd that Usagi burst into laughter.

Lucky for her, the entire table went into an uproar at the same time. Not that her friends didn't already consider her weird but she could almost imagine them adding '_randomly starts laughing_' to the running tally they were keeping about her odd personality. _Haha, they're so protective of me now that I wouldn't be surprised if they force someone I wanted to be with for the rest of my life to read it and sign a clause saying that he accepts me for all those things._ She bit the inside of her lip. _That might not be such a bad thing . . ._

Just when Usagi decided to join the conversation again, Rei cried, "Are you serious?!"

The laughter that followed caused everyone else to crack up. Indeed, that laughter was very amusing given the fact that Ami was the one cackling crazily. While ordering her second Amaretto stone sour earlier that evening, Mina had convinced Ami to share a daiquiri with her. As they soon found out, it proved to be more than enough for Ami.

Nefu only had to utter 'Ami-san, you're as red as Rei-san's purse,' and she'd go into another fit of giggles. Usagi was getting light-headed from all the laughing she was doing, so she took another swig from her bottle only to notice that there was nothing left. _Hmmm . . . _Shrugging it off, she called out, "Hey, I heard you had one hell of a summer, Mako-chan. Wanna tell us about it?"

"**Do** I," came the enthusiastic reply. The actual retelling was so peppered with Rei and Mina-chin's own comments and stories that Usagi was surprised that she even understood the gist of Mako-chan's camping adventure to help reforest part of a woodland. By the time everyone had their say, Ami no longer had the appearance of a cherry and rather coherently began to describe her unfortunate vacation at the beach.

However, before any of them could stop her, Minako blurted out, "Ami-chan, you **honestly** went to the beach? The kind with a huge stretch of white sand and lots of palm trees lining the back?"

The rest of them sighed. _And I thought I said stupid things._

"No, the kind you can find in the sandbox at the local park if you bring your own salt water," Ami answered sarcastically.

Thank kami that Rei could always be counted on to save a conversation turned sour. Raising her eyebrows, Rei smiled conspiratorially. "So, who's the guy?"

Ami-chan nearly sputtered and anyone who knows her knows she isn't the kind of person that sputters. Hell, she was one of the most calm, collected individuals Usagi knew. This had to be **something**. There was a pregnant pause as they looked at each other and then collectively went "Eh??!!"

Ami knew she wasn't getting off the hook until they wrung every detail from her. "If you recall the yearly week-long hiatus our extensive family takes to reunite with one another? Well, we were on the coastal beaches of Los Angeles this time.

"As you know, despite my relative love of water and all those other aquatic pleasures, I like to stay out of the sun, especially after such exposure as I had the previous day playing water-tag with the younger kids. I was spending time perusing my favorite chess strategies manual when a shadow—well, a few shadows actually—fell on the sand next to my beach chair. I looked up to find this guy literally leering at me. I still have no idea what he found so interesting since I was zipped up in a long, white beach parka and the only thing showing were my calves and feet."

"Obviously he noticed how beautiful you are!"

Ami only responded with a look that said 'Oh_ please_.' before continuing, a blush gracing her otherwise straight-face, "Well, I must admit that he was a becoming sight, with the way the water dripped from his hair and down his well-toned chest."

This earned her a bunch of gaping mouths, which quickly turned into squeals when the girls laughed at her saucy grin. Rei grinned back. "You will do well, my protégé." Laughter rippled through the air again.

"And then?"

"Well, given the hundred-degree weather, we had brought a cooler filled with sodas, water, and a good amount of ice. I'm certain you understand the propensity of children and men to never put the lid down"—Nefu gave a strangled laugh even as he interjected an outraged 'Cheap shot!'—"so the chips of frozen water had turned into a liquefied mess by the time _they_ appeared."

Everyone was thoroughly snickering by now, knowing that Ami-chan said it out of humor rather than because she was trying to be offensive. _Man, that alcohol is really doing a great job of loosening her up!_

Ami's eyes lost their sparkle as she flatly explained what happened next. "Since I faired pretty poorly at last year's US G/60 National Championships, I was reviewing the _kifu_ I had put together afterwards, using my chess _hikkei_ to recheck my moves."—there were some whispered, '_Hikkei_? What's that?' to which Rei replied, 'You know that manual that Ami says is a must-have if you are serious about chess.' and the others quieted down with an 'Oh.'—"This year's championship was coming up soon as well, so I was putting myself through the paces to make sure that I had internalized the basics. Then that overgrown behemoth of a Homo sapien grabbed the book from my hand and I didn't want to rip any of the pages, so I let him take it.

"He was absolutely unbelievable!" Pitching her voice lower, she mimicked him, 'What kind of boring stuff is this? Come with us. We'll teach you something more _exciting_.' With that same inflection, might I add. Still gives the awful feeling that someone just stepped on my grave. How boorish! And before I could stop him, he tossed my book and jerked me so hard I almost fell out of the chair."

Rei was rather livid now. "You should've told him off!"

"Manhandling you like that? A good beating would be better!" Makoto said while slapping a fist into her open palm.

Ami smiled so sweetly at that moment, they all felt the hair on their arms raise straight up. _Glad we're not on the receiving end of that._ A flashback crossed the girls' minds of the hellish months those cheerleaders went through where they nearly went insane because Ami mentally played with them by moving things slightly, planting harmless tiny insects, and tampering with the seams of their clothes and bags. Involuntary chills wrapped around their spines, washing over them in waves.

"If it was just him hauling me from the chair, then I wouldn't be so angry. It was like the world went by in slow motion, watching the book fly through the air and land right into the cooler with a 'plop.' I actually heard something inside me snap. The next thing I knew, I had flipped the guy over my shoulder using the moment of the pull." Tilting her head at both Rei and Makoto, she said, "You are excellent teachers. We must continue the lessons some time."

They all knew how much she loved that manual. Her 'jii-san had sponsored it and part of the foreword was a message to her. He had taught Ami how to play chess when she was just a little girl. Even though he had to go live in the care of one of her aunts shortly afterwards, they were still very close because of their love for chess. Ami treasured the book even more after he passed away in their sophomore year of high school.

"You would think that after you take a man out, he would get the hint but I think I piqued his interest instead. It was military-style army boot camp for my little cousins after that and since most of them had gone through it before, we were thoroughly prepared." At this the thought running through their heads was _War preparations?_

"I supplied them with the modified Super Soakers in my possession. I had even come up with a way to get an endless supply of water running through some of them. You should have seen the way he flew through the air. I knew he had to be feeling sore a few days afterwards." The glint in Ami's eyes was just as scary as the previous smile.

A speechless silence followed. Minako was the first to break it. "Haha . . . I guess he kinda did deserve that. What if he genuinely liked you but didn't know how to act?" Then thinking about his behavior, "Or he could just be purely lecherous."

Makoto made a jab at her. "Do you even know what that means?"

"Hey!" Minako then retorted smugly, "I represent that."

"Don't you mean you resent that?"

"Hahaha . . . no doubt she does represent lechery. She's attacked a fair share of guys."

"Oh, you mean the Leaf-picking Incident?" Everyone started chuckling even as Minako's voice rose indignantly.

_Wow. What are the odds that Ami-chan, the one who's least interested in boys, attracts a guy that hot enough to die for? I mean, none of us are extraordinarily cute or pretty. Not model quality for sure. We're the kind that just grows on people as they get to know us_. Usagi released an inaudible sigh, picking at the label on the empty bottle in front of her. She bit her lip, cheeks warming at her next thoughts.

_I'm still waiting for the guy that makes my skin prickle just by being in the same place as him, that makes me tingle when he accidentally brushes his hand against mine, that makes my body infuse with a contented warmth from a touch of his lips . . ._

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Japanese

kanpai – cheers

Ojii-san – Grandfather; shortened to 'jii-san – Grandpa (*-san is used here to reference someone else's grandfather)

hikkei – (in case you miss this in the story) must-have guide or manual; possibly anything that is a must-have like a set of high quality kitchen knives for a chef.

kami – a god; could be a reference to the God but not necessarily since there is no ultimate overseeing god in the native Japanese Shinto religion.

kifu – if you have watched Hikaru no Go or any other anime with Go or Shougi (Japanese/Asian version of chess), this is used to keep track of moves and sometimes time taken by both sides. One way to learn is to study those who have preceded you. It is also a way to prepare for a match because you can know your opponent's style.

Please refer to my profile for pronunciation and explanation of the Dark Kingdom generals' names and for help with the suffixes.


	2. Up Close and Personal

Disclaimers: As per usual, don't own characters or series but writing and idea is my own

Disclaimers: As per usual, don't own characters or series but writing and idea is my own.

Author's Note: Yeah, I know the first chapter was kinda boring. I'm hoping someone was able to relate to it in some way. So, a huge thank you to **lola**, my only reviewer: you motivated me to put out the second chapter this quickly (I had most of it written but I just couldn't get myself to type the rest).

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**Ch. 2 Up-Close and Personal**

He stared glumly at the drink in his hands as he sat by the bar. He was a sophomore in graduate school this year. Oh joy. His roommates and their friends decided that this lovely Saturday night was not to be wasted. _More like they want to be wasted on this lovely Saturday night._

He couldn't get into the mood of the party surging to his left. Today was the anniversary of that horrible car crash so long ago. It just didn't seem appropriate to be here having fun. Yet he knew Kunz was right. They wouldn't have wanted him to be moping like he was now. As his roommate—and childhood friend—reminded him, they were the type of people that lived in the moment and they would've wanted him to do the same.

"Mamoru, man. We brought you here to liven up the party a little but you seem to need it more than the party does," proclaimed the sandy-haired Zoi.

Another blonde nearly crushed said guy into the wood counter as he propelled himself through the crowd and clapped Mamoru on the back. "Hey, you better not be falling asleep in your drink."

The reference his friend was making didn't go unnoticed. "Shut up, Jei! Last time we went was at the end of Finals week. Would you be wide awake after cramming for five days?" came the snappish reply. Looking at his roommates' grinning faces, he couldn't help grinning himself. They were wild and crazy . . . and the only ones that kept him sane. Or so he thought.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a group of people heading for the exit. Apparently Zoi and Jei saw them too because they whispered simultaneously, "Total babes!"

Mamoru chuckled. _So typical. Their reaction. Well, they definitely aren't the most gorgeous women we've ever seen but there's something about them . . ._ He couldn't put his finger on it. Maybe it was the confidence they exuded? Or the interaction between all of them that was strangely reminiscent of him and his roommates?

He couldn't seem to tear his eyes away. Especially not when he saw the smile that spread across the pink-clad girl's face. Suddenly he so wanted to be the one causing her to laugh. _Where the hell did that come from? Now I'm getting attached to people on the drop of a dime. This is all that cross-dressing singer's fault. I still can't get over the fact that he dyed his hair the color of cotton candy._

He barely noticed that his buddies had scampered head long into the crowd behind him. Distantly, he heard Jei—or was it Zoi?—eagerly calling for Kunz as he watched the way her simple knee-length skirt swayed and noted the childish manner in which she bobbed her head from time to time. Her outfit was undeniably cute but not the type girls normally wore for a night out on the town. Her pink tank top was a shade darker than her skirt and it appeared she had a white, maybe purple, shirt slung over her left shoulder.

While Mamoru was off in his own little world, Jei and Zoi were convincing Kunz to follow them. He had to see these girls . . . before they left and he missed his once-in-a-lifetime chance, the blonde duo told him quickly. However, in the span of time it took to find Kunz, explain what was going on, and start leading him to the bar, the girl and her jumpy friend were within Mamoru's hearing distance.

"No, seriously Mina-chin. You don't know how happy I am to be out of that house. A summer is too long of a time to be in their presence."

"So you've told me for the jillionth time."

Usagi giggled. "Eh, sorry. Bad habit I picked up from my mom." She paused before loudly exclaiming, "Ah! Did I tell you . . . "

Mamoru didn't really get what they were talking about but then again, he couldn't focus with all the things running through his head. Those two were so oblivious that they didn't even realize he was openly staring at them.

Words and actions were lost to Mamoru. Her yellow-and-brown-streaked black hair flew into the air in waves when she tried to shake loose strands out of her face. He could only wonder if it was as soft and silky as it appeared. A thin hand brushed away the offending hair. Was it smaller than his?

Usagi thought it was probably time to trim her bangs again. Shrugging, she flung her right arm out a bit since her left was hanging off of Mina's arm at the moment.

It wasn't that Mamoru had never approached a girl before. Certainly more times than he could count in the past few months but suddenly he was afraid. When was the last time he had been nervous about just talking to a girl? The start of college? Oh how he wanted a sign from the kami above. And it seemed his prayer was answered. The right arm swung away from her side as if she was extending her hand to him. And before he even had time to think, he had already grabbed it.

"Eek!" She was glad she wasn't walking at the quick pace that was customary on her trips around campus. For sure she would've landed on the floor then. And pulled Mina-chin down with her. As it was, Usagi's hand was slipping past the crook of Mina's arm.

"Usagi-chan? You ok?" For a fleeting moment, Mina was afraid that Usagi was inconceivably drunk. Until she saw the reason, that is. _Whoa! Hottie alert._ Mina couldn't help herself, she just had to grin crazily. _Hopefully something good comes from this. The last time she had a boyfriend was in high school and that didn't end too well . . ._ "Hey, I'm gonna catch up to the others. They're probably wondering. See you in a bit?"

Usagi nodded, giving her an ok sign. She held up her index finger and then formed the shape of an 'o' with her hand before indicating the door. _Okay, Usagi-chan, better see you in ten minutes or Mako-chan and Rei-chan are going to assume the worst. That definitely won't be pretty. _Mina held up her hand as if to say 'Later' and disappeared through a new wave of people entering the bar.

Mamoru had been paying attention to their conversation so closely that he had forgotten he was still holding her hand until the sound of her blue flip-flops, which he didn't think were really flip-flops, woke him from his trance. He was on the edge of his stool, a foot grazing the floor and the other on a rung of the chair. So he nearly lost his balance as she shifted closer to him, trying to regain an upright position.

Mamoru blurted out, "Jeez, I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me." He made to let go but she stopped him with her free hand and literally laughed. Shaking her head, she stepped even closer. At any other time, he would've definitely felt this was an invasion of his personal space; the shy way she approached this situation made him feel more at ease.

Usagi was so nervous yet giddy at this point that the room suddenly became too hot for her liking. _This is weird. I was just thinking about guys not even half an hour ago and this guy, who is pretty cute, wants to talk to me. _She couldn't stop the shudder that ran down her back. She knew she was nuts to think that anything could happen between her and this guy but that didn't mean there wasn't a possibility. And, god, how she wanted it to be more than a possibility.

Mamoru saw her body tremor for a second and wondered if she was alright. He wouldn't know what to do if she fainted on the spot. Without another thought, he placed his left hand on her forehead to gauge her temperature. He felt her jerk a bit in shock before relaxing slightly. _Oops._ He grimaced mentally. _Another strike against me. I'm just blundering all over the place tonight._ Well, nothing felt wrong. She was probably just a little warm from some alcohol.

With their close proximity, Usagi noticed the dark blue of his eyes. However she was drawn most by the line of his jaw, somewhat square but very strong. Maybe it was that Bacardi, maybe she just felt daring, . . .or maybe she just wanted to. Well, whatever the excuse, she reached out and traced the edge of his jaw line lightly. _Always looking at things through artist's eyes, huh?_

Not even a minute prior to this, Kunz had stopped dead in his tracks less than four feet away from Mamoru's seat. Amazement was written across his face and for good reason: Mamoru was openly holding hands with a rather cute girl and not looking a bit uncomfortable about it. Zoi and Jei stumbled into him as he halted, almost bringing all of them down. Kunz was considerably taller than either of them, so they had to walk faster to catch up and couldn't slow down in time to avoid him. "What the hell, man? At least warn us before you do that!" was Jei's annoyed exclamation.

Kunz felt words were unnecessary in the current situation and opted to point in Mamoru's direction. Two pairs of eyes widened at the sight they saw and, simultaneously, their jaws dropped open. Zoi was the first to utter a word: "Okay, my eyes are deceiving me. That can't be Mamoru. Not the Mamoru we know."

"This is definitely not the Mamoru that hates PDA or expresses romantic emotions like a rock," chimed in Jei.

They could only stand there and watch the scene unfold before them. Jei thought with some amusement, _Yes! He can't hold seniority over my head now. Insert my evil laughter here. I'll be able to pick on him for months!_ Jei didn't have to say any of this for Kunz and Zoi to know exactly what was going on in his brain; it was of popular opinion that Jei acted and thought like a teenager, always doing and saying stupid things. And that conjecture certainly wasn't wrong.

Usagi saw a clock on the wall and noted that the ten minutes were ending. She reluctantly stilled her hand at his neck. Breathing in deeply, she pulled away and said, "Gotta go. If you want to hang out, . . ." At this point, she fished out a pen from her handbag and quickly scribbled her cell number on his hand. Flashing a quick smile, she hurried out the door. To Mamoru, it felt as if she had just disappeared into thin air with the way she did all that in the span of a minute. He could only watch as she and her friends passed by the front windows. _What the hell happened?_ He couldn't understand what had transpired or why he was spacing so much.

"So . . ." came three voices in unison. Mamoru groaned. He was doomed.


	3. And Then There Was the Bookstore

Disclaimers: As per usual, don't own characters or series but writing and idea is my own.

Author's Note: I'm glad some of you like my stories. At least this one is better written than TVC; I was horrified at how awkward some of it sounded once I re-read it. Seems that the one-sided viewpoint does not work anymore but I'm sure you will notice when it changes.

Anyway, this chapter is dedicated to **MunChixD**, **Shrouded Mist**, and **asga**. Thanks for the reviews!

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**Ch. 3 And Then There Was the Bookstore**

Mamoru couldn't help groaning again in dismay. People walking along the same path turned at the sound. However, Mamoru was so involved with his thoughts that he didn't notice the strange looks he was being given.

_Ugh. I can't believe those guys grilled me until the sun came up._ He pinched the bridge of his nose, hoping the pounding headache would go away. Although if the headache was from staying up all night or being forced to drink an entire keg, he didn't know. Jei and Zoi tied in a competition, drinking about four times as much as he did, and neither of them had thrown up . . . yet. Kunz had a little less than them but not by much. _How do they hold their liquor so well? Oh. Wait. _ He nodded, as if saying, "It figures." _ They've probably built a high tolerance; they're party animals . . . especially Jei and Zoi._

The summer season was hardly over: hot, slightly humid weather with the sun directly overhead and no clouds in sight signaled the August month still had a ways to go. Mamoru could no longer take the brightness and grabbed sunglasses from his left shirt pocket. He donned the black, rather large shades and relaxed his facial features a bit. Certainly he could've gotten a more decent pair, preferably one with smaller frames, but he was a college student and these were cheap.

_Too bad our books aren't. College sure puts a dent in your savings. I'm surprised I haven't had to rob a bank yet._ Making sure there were no bikes coming down the path, he hopped the two steps from the sidewalk to the bus shelter embankment and crossed the street to the bookstore.

He grimaced at the lines wriggling around the bag check area and felt glad that everything he was carrying fit easily in his pockets. He breezed in through the main entrance, taking the offered coupons, and headed downstairs to the shelves of new and used textbooks. Well, most of them were probably just new since the smart people had come early and gotten dibs on the good (and cheap) used books.

No matter. He was only here for a course guide (those always came new) and a handbook. Three less dinners out that he could have with friends. When did he have time anyway? He worked two jobs, one doing research at the biology department and another as a teaching assistant for the basic chemistry classes, had his own research to take care of (if he ever wanted to get started on a thesis), and was now the coordinator for events involving the Japanese student body.

_I suppose it's a nice change from that boring nine-to-five job I held for the past three years._ He had graduated with his bachelors degree six years ago. Had it already been six years? As much as he had wanted time to fly by when he had been at that job, this was a little ridiculous. He sighed, beginning to feel the weight of his situation.

With a dead-end job and the need for a change of pace after wallowing in despair about the car accident, he decided it was time to go back to school and get his Masters and PhD. _Well, let's focus on the Masters first._ Although they were letting him do some weird combination of the two, it was still going to be a while before he left this place alive.

That is, if the checkout line ever moved. It was snaking along at an agonizingly slow pace and he had half a mind to just dump his items on any shelf and come back another day for them. Preferably a less busy one.

He knew, however, that the next time he came here would probably be never if his schedule had anything to say about it. He heaved another sigh and the girl on the other side of the rope turned slightly to look at him. She moved to turn away again when she did a double take and almost immediately regretted doing it. As she put a hand to her neck, he also recognized her as the girl from the bar. _What are the odds of seeing her again so soon?_ The school was by no means small. There were several thousand attending and living on this campus. He guessed that the chance of being in the same place at the same time was probably upped by the fact that it was the start of school and everyone needed to get their books.

_Maybe I won't have to make that nervous phone call after all. But I'm not so sure a face-to-face conversation is any better._ His hands started getting clammy and he decided to tuck the items under his arm instead. He could feel himself starting to flush. When was the last time he had butterflies in his stomach? It felt like forever since a girl made him feel like this—and that was in kindergarten.

"Hi."

" . . . " He couldn't utter a word. He opened his mouth and all that came out was silence. He breathed out a nervous laugh and smiled at her.

She looked at him quizzically, returning the smile. He blinked, captivated. She was even prettier in the daylight. In the bar, it wasn't like you could see much anyway, what with the soft, almost nonexistent lighting. He was glad that she wasn't a believer in heavy makeup; she looked perfectly fine without. _Is this what inner rambling feels like?_

"So," she said, cutting into his thoughts. "What are you getting? I'm just here for the handbook." She waved it nonchalantly for him to see.

"Yeah, me too." Clearing his throat, he continued, "That and this course guide."

She took one look at the course number and couldn't stop herself from making a face. "What major _are_ you?!" The horrified expression and her appalled tone of voice made him chuckle.

"Grad student in biotechnology and informatics. The courses can be a bit painful but you make it sound like they're nothing but torture."

Sheepishly, she replied, "After having to dissect a pig in middle school, I can't say that I'll ever enjoy a bio class. God, the smell of formaldehyde." As an afterthought, she added, "I studied computer science for a while though."

At that moment, the person behind Usagi coughed and she realized that the line had moved a good distance. She winced and smiled apologetically at Mamoru as she moved into the next lane and rounded a few more poles.

With the current setup, the checkout line was weaved together in a fashion similar to those found at the AMC ticket windows. So even though he had been behind her, the rope meant that he wouldn't reach the checkout for another ten persons. He willed the line to move faster. If just so he could talk to her one more time before she left the building and disappeared into the crowded streets.

Apparently someone was listening to his silent prayer up there and several registers opened up at once. He finished paying for his books just as she received her black messenger bag from the guy at the bag counter. Since he was in such a hurry to catch up to her though, he hadn't been paying attention to where she actually was. Thinking that she had already left, he headed towards the exit without checking his surroundings and ran right into someone. He grabbed the person's arm to keep both of them from tumbling to the ground.

* * *

Usagi felt like she was a bumbling idiot today. She couldn't be drunk though; didn't have enough to drink last night and certainly didn't have a hangover. She felt great when she had woken up earlier that morning, especially after giving Rei a fright by appearing behind her in the bathroom mirror. _Ha, bet she didn't expect to see me up before noon._

Apparently neither did the other girls. Mako-chan almost burned their breakfast and Ami-chan cleaned her glasses just to make sure she wasn't seeing things. She couldn't help but smile thinking about it.

Well, the morning started out good. At breakfast she had knocked her orange juice into her lap and then while she was leaving the house, accidentally closed the door on her hair. Not to mention, she almost got run over by a few bicycles on the way to the bookstore. It was just her luck now to be knocked down and when it wasn't her own fault no less. Good thing, the other person had better reflexes than she did.

"Um, thanks." Usagi looked up and was surprised to find it was no other than the person she had been talking to earlier. _This guy is clumsy. Maybe he's one of those guys who drinks all the time and even goes to class drunk? He certainly didn't look the type though. _Just her luck. Today was becoming more and more awful; she was about ready to forget all the other things she had to do that day and just crawl back into bed.

He looked equally surprised when he had gained enough footing to see who he had run into. "Ah, sorry. I've been doing this to you a lot lately, it seems."

_What?_ She had to think a little and then remembered that she had almost fallen to the floor last night as well. She shook her head. "Don't worry about it. No harm done, right?"

Seeing that people were sidestepping or hurriedly walking past them, they both headed outside to get out of the way. The afternoon rush appeared to be starting because they could see that the bookstore entrance further down the street was packed.

Usagi was finally glad about something today. "Good thing we came in the morning huh?"

He laughed, seeing her relieved expression. "Yeah . . . so what are you doing for the rest of the day?"

She turned away slightly to hide the grin that was manifesting itself on her face. Even if he turned out to be an alcoholic, she could indulge herself for now, right? Pressing her lips together, she answered, "Mm . . . lunch with my housemates, at that Korean restaurant across the street actually." He turned to see what she was pointing at and recognized it as a regular hangout he and his friends frequented. "Besides that, some errands and maybe I'll go into work for a few hours."

"Where do yo—"

Usagi jumped as her bag started vibrating. "Sorry," she said, as she dug around hurriedly and then practically stuck her face into the bag to try to find her cellphone. Upon finding it, she quickly popped it open. "Hello? . . . Yeah, I'm nearby. . . . Oh? Okay. Yeah, bye."

Snapping it closed, she looked at the time and turned to him. "Sorry about that."

"Your friends I assume? I suppose I shouldn't keep you."

"Actually, it seems they're all running a little late. Are you busy?" She felt nervous all of a sudden, realizing she would be extremely disappointed if he was. Well, it couldn't be helped. He was honestly the best eye candy she had ever had the chance to see up close, what with the silky black hair dipping slightly into his stormy blue eyes and the slightly tanned skin that made her own skin seem pale in comparison. He was _the_ definition of tall, dark, and handsome.

"I'm good until later this afternoon." He paused, curiosity getting the better of him. "Why?"

"Just thought, maybe . . . " She looked down at her flip flop-encased feet. "Maybe you could join us for lunch . . . if you wanted?" She looked up at him, not daring to look him directly in the eye. Her emotions would certainly make themselves evident if she did. She could already feel a slight blush start to spread across her cheeks.

* * *

He had gulped when she asked him such a question. Was this girl already at time-to-meet-friends-and-get-their-approval mode? She sure moved fast. However, it was endearing the way she shied away from his gaze, hooking a thumb into one of her skirt pockets. Well, if nothing, he might be able to make some more friends or maybe even find girlfriends for those insane roommates of his. If they could last through his buddies' antics, that is.

"Sure. It's been a while since I ate there." It wasn't a total lie given that he hadn't stepped foot in the place since the spring semester ended. His heart couldn't help but speed up at the delight that alighted in her bright blue eyes when he agreed.

He, Mamoru Chiba, was most definitely not a ladies' man if his past interactions with women had anything to say. But here he was, openly trying to glean some kind of affection. _ Oh the things they would say._ He could only imagine the identical mischievous grins on Jei and Zoi's faces if they saw him now.

Picking up their conversation from before the phone call, he followed her across the street. He reveled in her animated, almost comical way of talking as they entered the restaurant and went up to the counter to look at the menus. The more she said, the more he was beginning to like her. The one thing that he knew he could not do.


	4. Polite Conversation

Disclaimers: As per usual, don't own characters or series but writing and idea are my own.

Author's Note: I used a few Japanese sentences in this one but I won't make it a habit. Promise! It's definitely in context and not randomly sprinkled for anyone who hates how authors do that and they don't even make any sense sometimes. Translation is at the end.

More than a month overdue but I hope you will forgive me **PriestessofFire0417**, **MoonGoddessMagic**, **sailormoon0630**, **sailorashes** (I can't wait either actually), and **aims** (Mamoru's reasoning won't be revealed for a while). Thanks for reviewing!

* * *

**Ch. 4 Polite Conversation**

So deep in conversation were they that Usagi didn't realize the other girls had arrived until they were upon them, lugging bags of books and jostling the chairs in order to make room for everyone. It was as if everything else had come roaring back to life. She hadn't realized how much she had tuned out the ambient noise of the restaurant until Ami-chan sat down next to her and she jumped, startled.

She reddened a little, thinking that she must have looked stupid to the guy sitting across from her.

"And who's this?" cooed Rei as she slid out the chair next to Ami-chan.

Usagi hoped she hadn't thrown herself at him as openly as Rei was doing at that moment. Well, maybe _thrown_ wasn't the correct term but Rei was rather unabashedly eyeing the poor guy. They all knew how tenacious she could be when she wanted something. Usagi glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and noted with some satisfaction that he was forcing a smile. Still, she couldn't help thinking that Rei was the better choice.

Rei was evidently more refined, having an innate balance and grace that she herself could never seem to keep up for more than a few seconds. With a fiery attitude, long ebony tresses, and a body that looked great in just about everything, Rei was the epitome of sexy. The fact that Rei also had the confidence to pull off those looks only made it a reality.

Usagi couldn't help feeling a twinge of jealousy. She felt like the kid sister that everyone thought was adorable and cute but didn't give a second glance. Her face did have a square-cut shape to it that made her appear much younger than she looked (of which she would probably be thankful for as she got older). However, her facial features alone weren't what made her seem childish. It was more the way she acted.

"This is . . ." She paused, puzzled. _ Did she ever find out his name last night? Did she even remember to ask?_ They all looked at her expectantly. " . . . yeah, who are you, by the way?"

Rei almost fell over as the others gave her an incredulous look. Mako-chan was the first to speak. "How can you be eating lunch with someone you don't even know by name?"

Mina-chin jumped in before Usagi had a chance to answer. "Her mouth was probably too occupied to ask him his name, if you know what I mean."

"Mina-chin!" Usagi could feel the heat rising off her face.

Ami-chan apologized to him even as he laughed, clearly amused. "You will have to excuse my friends. It seems the formula I put into the pancake batter this morning has made them more excitable than usual."

All side conversations stopped as they whipped their heads around to look at her. Mina-chin threw her arms around Mako-chan—well, as best she could given that they were sitting side by side and she couldn't twist the lower half of her body— just as Mako-chan lunged at Ami-chan, hampered by the added weight. Through gritted teeth, Mina-chin tried to placate her. "Now, now Mako-chan . . ."

"You were experimenting on us again?!" exclaimed an incensed Mako-chan.

Unperturbed, Ami-chan took one look at her, whipped out a notepad, and jotted some things down. Mako-chan was about to try again but Mina-chin, with Rei's help, succeeded in dragging her to the counter to order their food.

Usagi blinked. Feeling slightly mortified that the whole restaurant was staring at their table, she played with the utensils in front of her. She was so warm now she was sweating. She should've been used to it, really. She was quite the connoisseur at embarrassing herself after all.

It was like she was awkwardly outside the loop of existence that everyone else seemed to fit into so well. Usagi seemed to have the terrible luck of always laughing at the wrong times. The littlest things amused her to no end. She would laugh about something so long sometimes that others would end up being a little disconcerted and annoyed. It wasn't _that_ funny. Or for several days in a row, she would continue to talk about a humorous event that happened. By then, the topic had outlasted its stay and most didn't really care anymore.

Maybe she just had no tact. Always saying things at the wrong time. Always saying the wrong things at the wrong time. Never saying what she was actually thinking. All the mistakes were beginning to weigh down on her and she wanted to be able to recognize them and let go; not hold onto them like they were her lifeline. But it was the only way she knew how to live.

Usagi followed Ami-chan with her eyes as she too got up to order food. The petite blue-haired girl was a head above them, in terms of brains at least. That was all anyone seemed to notice her for. That and the fact that her hair was died to the roots in an electric blue color. _Ami-chan can certainly be eccentric when she wants to be. I can still remember how shocked we were when she suddenly came to school one day like that. All those people saying, "What happened to prim and proper Ami?"_

It suddenly came to Usagi that it felt like each and every one of them was somehow existing on the outskirts of the norm: Ami-chan with her studious nature, Rei with her domineering attitude, Mako-chan with her overwhelming strength, Mina-chin with her uncanny intuition, and then there was herself and that clumsiness to the point of stupid. Maybe that's why only with them did she have nothing to prove and yet still she could not overcome her self-destructive nature.

"Hey . . ." Mamoru touched her hand briefly. She breathed in sharply, eyes refocusing as she turned her head slightly to look at him. "You ok?"

She blinked at him, still occupied in her thoughts. Her face was in a polite smile as she tilted her head in the form of a question.

"You just had this look on your face . . ." He trailed off, well aware that maybe it was too early to be saying stuff that made it sound like he understood or knew anything about her.

She shook her head. A full-fledged smile drew across her lips as her eyes began to sparkle. It was like with a breath this happiness, a life force, something he couldn't quite name was flowing into her system. He paused to stare while he watched in a stupor, awed by the way she was literally coming to life in front of his eyes. He was sure he would never witness anything quite like it.

Her lips curled in a smirk as she said, "So, yeah . . . I never did get your name." She stuck her hand out. "I'm Usagi, by the way."

"As in 'bunny'?" He asked as he shook her hand lightly before almost reluctantly releasing it. Or maybe he was just busy trying to decipher her name. Well she could hope, couldn't she? "The na—"

A little surprised, she answered quickly, cutting him off, "Yeah. You know Japanese?"

He laughed at her enthusiasm. "Maa, nihonjin dakara . . . Mamoru to moushimasu. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu." He nodded his head a little in a slight bow.

She colored a little at the formality but nonetheless did the same. It was weird considering that she was younger than him and she thought for a second that he was mocking her since he knew she was. Looking at him, though, she realized there was no malice in his intent; he was just being polite. Still, the pinch in her cheeks would not go away. "Ah." A nervous pause as the pinch seemed to deepen. "Sou desu ka. Nihonjin da to omoimashita kedo, kyuuni nihongo de hanashitara shitsurei deshou."

"Jya, doushite minna—" he gestured at the other girls returning to their table "—to eigo bakari hanasu ka."

She shook her head. She seemed to be doing that a lot today. "So as not to be rude to you. Besides some of us aren't as good at it since we were born in America or other countries and were raised speaking English." She raised her hand sheepishly. "Like me. That was the extent of my Japanese."

He nodded in understanding. Some of his roommates were like that too but he didn't doubt that they didn't try.

A weird thrill had gone through her when the Japanese had started pouring out of his mouth. She rubbed her hands across her cheeks nonchalantly while all the while trying to get rid of the warmth still emanating from them. What was wrong with her today? She feared that she would end up with a constant blush on her face if this kept up.

The others arrived at the table just as their orders were called out. Usagi and Mamoru squeezed out of the aisle, both thinking that maybe they should have chosen a better spot. One where the tables _weren't_ so close together. Although it probably wouldn't have made much of a difference considering how packed the restaurant was starting to get with the lunchtime rush.

After the two came back with their trays of steaming food, proper introductions were made and they idly chatted until the rest of their orders were called. Everyone immediately dug into their meals. They were beyond the point of starving if they already hadn't been when they first arrived.

After scarfing down the food, Mina-chin and Rei ran off to job interviews. The others followed not soon after. Mako-chan had to take care of some things for the business sorority she was in and Ami-chan set off for work to make sure she was at least half an hour early. At this, Mamoru raised an eyebrow and she shrugged as if to say, "That's just how Ami-chan is."

Usagi wished that she was at least punctual. She didn't have such a great track record though. No one felt she was reliable enough for anything—it was true that she was often late to things and could never get her homework in on time, even when she tried. She felt the overwhelming sense of drowning that often seemed to plague her nowadays and swallowed hard, breathing deeply.

She grabbed her tray and went to stack it among the other dirty dishes as Mamoru followed suit. They stepped out of the bustling restaurant into an even busier sidewalk. Usagi stumbled as a number of people paraded past and bumped into her. Mamoru grabbed her elbow to steady her and she murmured her thanks as they surged forward into the crowd. They both had work today after all.

* * *

**Japanese Translation:**

_Maa, nihonjin dakara . . . Mamoru to moushimasu. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu._  
Well, because I'm Japanese . . . I'm called Mamoru. Please look after me. (The last two are quite literal. You can also translate them as "My name is Mamoru. I'm in your care." Doesn't have quite the same meaning though. The last phrase is a pretty common greeting among strangers and is meant as a polite gesture; it just sounds awkward through translation and is therefore often translated as "Nice to meet you." Even when that is entirely incorrect.)_  
_

_Sou desu ka. Nihonjin da to omoimashita kedo, kyuuni nihongo de hanashitara shitsurei deshou._  
Is that so? I thought you were Japanese, but if I suddenly spoke to you in Japanese, wouldn't that be rude? (There's a lot of grammar here so I'm not going to give you a whole lesson but you are welcome to AIM me at my penname if you would like to know. A few basic things: _to you _is implied, the comma comes after the conjunction, she is being polite by using _desu _and _masu_, and there are a few ways to say _but_ in Japanese just like we have a few in English.)_  
_

_Jya, doushite minna to eigo bakari hanasu ka._  
So why do you speak nothing but English with the others? (_minna_ means everyone but Mamoru specifically pointed to the other girls so it is implied who is in that 'everyone'.)


	5. Work, work, work

Disclaimers

As per usual, don't own characters or series but writing and content are my own.

Author's Note

After reading what some other fanfic authors are dealing with, I'm glad my reviewers have been such awesome people so far! You guys were so encouraging that I started on this chapter immediately, **raye85** (it's kinda hard for me to decide which direction I want their characters to go since I could take it to the point of being outlandish but maybe for another fic. the beach guy will be explained . . . eventually but I will say it is one of the four), **Nyridian** (thank you for the reassurance! I love authors who are able to draw the scene so vividly that you just _know_ without them having to write everything out, so I hope I was able to do something like that for you), and **Serenity28** and **sailorashes** (I'm glad you are enjoying the chapters and I will try my best to update faster).

Edit

I do apologize that it took so long to get this out. I have always hated Spring semesters. I have a new-found appreciation for authors who take the time to go back, edit, and repost. It is a very daunting task. I am also once again in awe of those who can post perfectly the first time around. Please read the reposts. There are a lot changes and/additions usually; if not, I will note that they were only grammatical/spelling corrections.

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**CHAPTER 5**

**Work, work, work**

It was only during the first few days right before and right after school started that one realized exactly how many students went there. They seemed to flock to the restaurants and bookstores all along the main streets of the campus. Usagi and Mamoru walked mindlessly along with the mob of people. They were making good time despite having to walk at the pace of those in front of them. Even if they tried, there was no room to walk around either. Just as many people were coming down the street in the opposite direction.

Usagi pushed her bangs out of her face again. The heat was starting to get to her. It did not help that the people in front of her and behind her were so close that she could feel the heat emanating off of them as well. She swallowed with some difficulty, wishing she had brought a water bottle with her.

They talked casually about classes, the weather, work, how the campus town was being slowly overtaken by brand-name chains and that these companies were just trying to squeeze the rest of their lifesavings from them . . . you know, the usual. Occasionally, they would have to yell as a truck (or some asshole who loved to rev his engine) rumbled by and even then it was difficult seeing as there was a noticeable gap between their heights. She had to tilt her head a little to hear and her neck was starting to feel really sore.

She discovered that they both worked on the same side of the Quad—sadly, the side farther away from the restaurant. In all fairness though, it might take them at most fifteen minutes to get to the other side. Unlike many of the denser US cities—NYC, Chicago, San Fran—, this particular place had developed around the university. Therefore, no such thing as having to wait ten minutes for a light to change and still having to be careful because you might end up getting run over by a car anyway, what with the pedestrian light being all of two seconds. Here, you just had to worry about getting dragged by the occasional bus or some idiot backing up right into you even though it would be impossible to miss your figure in the rearview mirror.

Although there were many quads on campus (and quads on almost any college campus, it seemed), the main Quad was by far the longest and most pleasant. Too bad they couldn't leave more trees around the place. Damn their thoughtfulness toward Frisbee players and bikini-clad sunbathers . . .

* * *

"Woo! That girl is almost naked!" exclaimed Jei in a joy that only single-minded boys seemed apt to do. Of course he would beg to differ. He was a man after all. Not a boy.

Kunz did not even bother to look at Jei directly but rather glided his eyes towards Jei's direction briefly before proceeding to continue walking as if they weren't associated.

"Oh my god! Kunz! Look at—" He turned his head to talk to the empty space beside him and frowned in confusion. Wasn't Kunz next to him just a few seconds ago? "—that one . . ."

He swiveled around, craning his head to see over and around everyone else. Why was he born with average height? He blamed his mom for that one. He walked a little further to his left and collided with the person coming from the diagonal sidewalk next to him.

So if you think of the Main Quad as two parallel lines and the diagonals on the Quad as 3 large Xs, one on top of the other, and place Jei near the corner where a leg of the X touches the line, then you can see how with the way Jei was weaving he was bound to run into somebody.

"Watch where you're going!" she snarled. Under her breath, she muttered, "Idiot." Huffing, she started to walk around him but he blocked her path.

"You're a feisty one, aren't you?" Jei sported a boyish grin that under different circumstances definitely would have made her swoon. However, she was too preoccupied worrying about doing well on her interview to deal with him.

She glared at him and turned to go around him again. This time he stepped so close she could see the blue of his eyes and she did the first thing that came to mind. She slapped him.

"Ow. Shit." Jei's hand immediately flew to his smarting face. What the hell was that for?

"Iyarashii!" Rei spit out before she could translate it into English in her head. A habit she hadn't been able to get rid of even though she had lived in the US for over four years. She continued to curse him in her mind as she stormed toward the building housing the Foreign Language Department. Today was just full of unwanted surprises.

Any morning that started off with Usagi's face in the mirror was enough to foreshadow an off-kilter day. She almost laughed out loud at the thought. _Ok, Serena isn't ugly or anything but jeez, she didn't have to appear out of nowhere like that._ She had been so spooked that the toothbrush had slipped in her grasp and jammed painfully into her gums. Although the ache had long disappeared, she could still feel its vestiges and she sucked in her breath in remembrance. She had almost swallowed the toothpaste too.

Breakfast was hardly any better. Usagi's attack of klutziness had caused a chain reaction around the table and only Ami was unaffected, as she smoothly lifted her book away from the yellowy-orange mess spilling across its surface without lifting her head. Rei scrunched her nose in disgust. She had to shower again after that since some of the orange juice had flown into her hair when Usagi knocked _her_ glass into the air in a fruitless attempt to stop the other one from falling into her lap. Rei doubted it would look good to walk into an interview with blobs of pulp congealed rather conspicuously on her head.

She pulled, or more accurately all but yanked, the glass door open. These doors seemed to perpetually stick to each other, never quite fitting into their metal frames, and Rei couldn't help but wonder if they ever had.

As soon as she stepped into the doorway, a cool breeze touched her skin and she sighed in appreciation. It made her realize how much she had been sweltering and she was glad that she had decided on a light, striped short-sleeved dress shirt and a sleek, streamlined black skirt. Dark colors did not help much on cloudless days like this but for interviews, dark was safe.

Deciding that a trip to freshen up was needed, she turned in the direction of the bathroom as she entered through the second set of glass doors.

* * *

"Tch. This is not going as planned," muttered Zoi when he read the email the overseeing professor sent him. "Maybe I should just have Kunz take care of it for me. They always listen to him."

He scowled as soon as the words came out of his mouth. It wasn't like he wasn't capable of these things and he certainly learned a lot about being convincing from Kunz that he didn't need his help. _Habits die hard, huh?_ For as long as he could remember, Kunz had always looked out for him. He had been bullied during middle school until he transferred, right into his good graces it seemed.

Zoi felt like he was in the shadow of the others. He didn't stand out in his own right. He couldn't help feeling bitter about it even though they always had his back. Certainly he looked a little weak, especially when he was younger, with the pale skin and grey-blue eyes set in rather feminine features.

"Argh!" He threw his hands up. There was just too much to do today. He didn't have time to be sorry for himself.

He grabbed the post-it note stuck on the wall to the right of his desk. _ Oops, wrong one._ The date across the top was for tomorrow.

Both the walls to the front and right of his desk were covered in post-it notes, all color coded according to activity and importance, with the dates sprawled across the tops in semi-decent handwriting. If his psychology PhD didn't come through, maybe he should become someone's personal secretary. He certainly had the knack for it. Punctual as a school bell, he was. His own brain was as organized as a Blackberry too.

Breakfast sounded good right about now. His stomach rumbled in agreement.

" . . ." The refrigerator apparently had other plans. One egg in the styrofoam container, half a carton of orange juice, and a skinny carrot were all that were left. _Oh! And a 24-pack of Cherry Coke._ Lot of good that would do him. Not even a decent breakfast could be made out of this.

_Jei went shopping just a couple days ago. What the hell did he buy? Another thing to add to that to-do list for today._ Zoi set about heating up what he could eat, ate it, and washed it down with a glass of orange juice.

Now he would have to take inventory too since their tiny kitchen wouldn't be able to hold much. He grimaced as soon as he opened the freezer. _That idiot._ Only a few drumsticks were left in a freezer bag underneath the six Breyer ice cream cartons. Zoi was going to end up with a permanent tic in his forehead soon.

He assessed the lower cabinet drawers and the top of the fridge, and was about to leave when he noticed something sticking out of the cabinet above the refrigerator. Moving what few things were left up there onto their sides, he tried to grab the bottom corner with the tips of his fingers. _Maybe I'm a little too short for this._ He pushed himself onto his toes again. _Dammit, I really don't want to get a chair._

He immediately regretted opening that cabinet as soon as he was able to shove the door out. The bags and bags of chips that Jei had stuffed in there came tumbling out onto his head. Amid the avalanche, he thought he heard someone's attempt at entering the apartment. Zoi shook his now frizzed hair out of his eyes even as another bag crashed into his face before landing with a rustle among the numerous ones that already lay on the floor.

Whoever it was finally got the front door to open. _Another thing that needs to be fixed in this goddamn place. _It always took some finagling to get the locks to align with their spaces in the door properly. It was the worst in the summer, but still pretty bad in the winter when it liked to freeze. He waited as Kunz breezed past and then backpedaled at the unexpected sight. One look was all he needed. "I take it we need to go shopping?"

"Yeah, you know it."

"I'm sure Mamoru won't mind if we borrow his car. I'm already using it today for a tutoring job. Call me up when you're done with your to-do list." With that, Kunz wandered off to his room.

Zoi blinked. "Man, I must be getting too predictable." Of course, anyone could look at the lists since it's not like he hid them or anything. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "First things first, rewriting that list." Today was turning out to be a long day.

* * *

Smoothing her clothes and hair one last time, Minako rang the doorbell.

Not soon after, she could hear the pitter patter of little feet. She expected the door to fly open but instead heard a rather loud thump as the door shuddered slightly. She jumped in shock. _What on earth . . . ?_

A feminine voice filtered through the wooden door. _Probably his mother._ She didn't have much time to ponder why there were no sounds of bawling. The door squeaked rather loudly as it slid inward and Minako grimaced. She was reminded of nails on a chalkboard. This sound was certainly vying for second place.

She didn't have much time to continue with that train of thought as the child's mother did indeed greet her. "Hello. You must be Minako."

"Yes. That's right. Um, but you can call me Mina if that's easier."

"Well, Mina, please come in." To the little boy at her feet, she said while tugging on his hand, "Why don't you let her in and then you can say 'hi'?"

The house was breathtakingly spacious and Minako couldn't help but look around in awe as she stepped across the threshold. She knew it would be absolute joy to babysit here. Having a car helped since this neighborhood was literally on the other side of the planet in terms of distance from the campus. _If I can't have the car for the day, I'm sure one of them can drop me off._

They had all scrimped and saved to get two cars between the five of them. For Usagi-chan, it was more like pilfering the money she was given for her 'allowance' since her father was particularly watchful of her spending and her mother made sure she concentrated on nothing but her studies. Ami-chan and Rei-chan had less domineering guardians and Mako-chan had none whatsoever so it was much easier for them. Minako herself had gotten some luck modeling for hair commercials and had used all that she got from that towards their vehicle fund.

At the insistent tugging on her skirt, she knelt down, taking the little hands in her own. "I'm Mina. What's your name?"

He peered at her with such innocence that her mind was shrieking at how adorable he was. She pointed at herself. "Mina."

"Mwi'a."

She laughed. "Close enough. We'll try again later."

His mother enunciated the next words to him, "My name is . . . "

"Jodin!"

"Jordan," was the conspiratorial whisper. Minako exchanged a knowing smile and then got off her knees. He abruptly let go of her hands and made a beeline for the toys he had left scattered on the floor.

Mrs. Winston filled her in on the necessary information, providing phone numbers and giving a rundown of what she needed to do for Jordan in her absence. Basically, she just had to make sure (1) Jordan didn't stink since he was still going through potty training, (2) Jordan ate his meal instead of wearing it, and (3) Jordan was sleeping by the time Mrs. Winston returned. The last one was more of a protocol than anything else. "If he's just talking to himself but not sleeping, that's fine."

Minako didn't ask and tried not to make an 'Okay, weirdo lady' face but it was difficult to _not_ wonder if everyone started out talking to themselves. _That would explain a lot of things . . ._ "So anything in particular I should reinforce or avoid?"

The mother was surprised at the question but immediately brightened at this babysitter's thoughtfulness. "I believe you'll be at the top of my babysitter list! Well, there's nothing special really. You have his allergy list. When he doesn't behave or listen, that's the only time we swat his behind. Make sure he looks at you when you admonish him or it'll just pass right over him.

"If you can, just reinforce the potty training by asking and reminding him to tell you if he needs to go. Have him put away his own toys. He knows how to do it. Also, Jordan tends to play rough sometimes, so just calm him down before he continues."

Minako nodded or made murmurs of agreement as Mrs. Winston talked. Probably the only thing that no parent would ever mention but would always expect was that you keep the child in sight at all times. She noted out of the corner of her eye that Jordan moved pretty fast and knew that this would be no small feat. _No wonder it's called the Terrible Twos._

"Well, I'll leave you to it. His older brother, Matthew,—MATTHEW!—is in that room to the right once you walk up the stairs. The bathroom is right here and there's another one upstairs, at the end of the hall." Minako was taken aback by the unexpected yell. She didn't even realize that there was someone else here besides Jordan and his mother.

"Yeah, mom?" An unruly mop of brown hair covered the boy's face so that his eyes were all but dots. He looked to be about twelve or thirteen. Matthew paused on the landing, leaning against the railing, dressed in a band t-shirt and a pair of board shorts that went mid-calf, where it would usually be worn at the knees or a little higher on an adult.

"Jordan's babysitter, Mina. Lend her a hand if she needs it." He nodded slightly and Minako found herself addressed again. "I guess the only other imposition I'll make is that you heat up dinner for him too. There's enough leftovers in there for three or four people." The woman was moving imperceptibly closer to the front door as she grabbed things, threw them into her purse, and then put on her shoes while hopping from foot to foot. "I don't think I forgot anything but you'll be fine." With last kisses to both her sons, Mrs. Winston exited the house.

At random intervals during their chat, Jordan would come over with some toy or other to try to get them to play with him. Occasionally, they indulged him a little and he would wander away once he got bored with them or the object. He was now once again, rummaging among his toys—and boy, did he have a lot of them—for something to show her. While she patiently waited, she took another cursory glance of the house from her position on the edge of the carpet. The place was a complete mess but that was to be expected with a two-year old who probably liked to get his fingers in everything and didn't understand the concept of putting things away 'when you're done playing.'

She chuckled to herself. He had a nice little set of plastic shelves to put away everything in and already half of the toys were lying on the floor, on the coffee table, and on the couches. Her assessment was interrupted by an exclamation outside. _Did something happen to Mrs. Winston?_

Minako got up and brushed off her skirt, walking towards the front door, while watching her step for who knew what Jordan had left out in his wake. The door burst open before she had a chance to get even halfway there. Her eyes traveled from worn sneakers to faded jeans and then up past a dark green polo to the platinum blonde hair swinging around his shoulders. It was his eyes that did her in though. She thought her heart slowed to a stop in that moment. Those icy blues issued her a challenge, his lips smirking, and her own eyes flared in response. _You're on._

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Japanese

iyarashii – disgusting (in a lewd way)


End file.
